Get It Right The First Time

Getting legal help at the start of your company can help you avoid common pitfalls that have destroyed other companies.

“Startups can unwittingly make costly mistakes in the early days of their existence,” says Joe Maruschak, the Chief Startup Officer of the Eugene branch of the Regional Accelerator and Innovation Network Eugene, RAIN Eugene. “Seemingly ‘common sense’ assumptions about ownership may not actually hold true when viewed in the eyes of the law. Make sure you own what you think you own.”

Over the next few months, RAIN Eugene will be partnering with the University of Oregon to provide legal advice to local entrepreneurs and student founders of early stage startup companies.

Andrew Nelson, the Executive Director of UO RAIN and an associate professor of management in the University of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business, says that partnerships like this are key to advancing entrepreneurship not only on a university level, but in the community as well.

“RAIN is a key avenue through which the university and community partner with one another to further innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Nelson. “These workshops are a prime example of a topic that’s important to all entrepreneurs, regardless of their university ties, and we’re excited to host them.”

The first event, The Innovation Copyright Workshop, takes place on October 29th at the University of Oregon School of Law, room 142. With a panel made up of legal experts, university professors and local professionals, this event focuses on detailing ways for employers to protect themselves while licensing intellectual property.

The second event, High-Growth Employment Workshop, on November 9th in the Lillis Business Complex (Chiles 125 AB) debunks early mistakes made by early stage startups when it comes to hiring, employment and independent contractors. Due to limited space, participants are required to RSVP to attend.